§ Mr. Rileyasked the Minister of Labour on what grounds he has given his consent to the erection of a new factory for the processing and manufacture of cloth at Moorside, Workington, when there are ample mills and plant not being fully utilised in the West Riding of Yorkshire, where there are large numbers of trained operatives unemployed; and what is the 2262W amount of financial assistance which is being given to the promoters by the Special Area Commissioners?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe Commissioner for the Special Areas has assented to the provision by the West Cumberland Industrial Development Company of a factory at Workington for the manufacture of a cheap cloth of a type at present imported in considerable quantities from abroad. Assurance; were received that the kind of labour required was not available in the area of the main concern of the promoters and that a new undertaking producing cloth of this particular type would not result in any reduction of work in the mills of the parent concern.
As regards the latter part of the question, assistance is being given under Section 3 of the Special Areas (Amendment) Act, 1937, to the new undertaking but it would be contrary to practice to furnish details of the financial assistance given by the Commissioner in any individual case.